 Shoshana Brackett/SDN Above, Kaitlyn East of Hinds County puts on a traditional clown costume during a Thursday clowning workshop at 4-H Congress. During the workshop new to Congress this year, senior 4-H'er Justin Armstrong led students through various exercises aimed at fostering personal interactions before talking about actual clowning methods and practices. Students from across the state participated this week in the 2008 4-H Congress held at Mississippi State University. Besides fun with their peers, the students also participated in contests and workshops during the 3-day event. By SHOSHANA BRACKETT
Starkville Daily News
As hundreds of Mississippi 4-H'ers descended on the Mississippi State University campus this week they looked forward to a few days of fun, competition and a dose learning along the way.
The 2008 4-H Congress, a statewide gathering of senior 4-H'ers aged 14 to 18, offered students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in various contest categories from automotive driving to clothing selection to dairy animals to public speaking and participate in workshops like Operation Military Kids, All Stressed Up, Dancing Like the Starz, Robotics and 4-H is Cool.
This year's Congress saw 753 students representing 73 of the states 82 counties.
Dr. Susan Holder, state 4-H program leader, said this year's Congress had several important and interesting highlights.
Two items Holder pointed to were student participation in a community service project that raised money to be donated to the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children and a performance from Drew Poppelreiter, a 4-H alumnus from Lee County who was a finalist in the Dallas market for the American Idol search.
"It was just really neat to see a 4-H alumnus come back," Holder said.
Wednesday and Thursday the students participated in the contests and workshops while bonding with their peers during meals, a dance and assemblies.
Students also elected a new slate of state 4-H officers for the coming year to represent this year's record enrollment of 101,000 4-H'ers in the state.
Friday, students attended the closing assembly and awards ceremony.
"They kind of get a touch of everything," Holder said of the many Congress activities. "There's the competitive end, the mastery, and then there's that piece of generosity and giving and then the side that teaches them to be independent."
4-H also gives students a sense of belonging to an organization that values them, Holder said.
This year in particular students had a chance to shape their organization and continue 4-H's movement forward.
Last year, 4-H in Mississippi celebrated its 100-year anniversary, and the state's 4-H program chose to focus this year on making the next 100 years even better than the first.
4-H'ers were brought into the conversation through meetings during Congress, and a few additions were made to this year's workshop selection.
For example, this year students could choose to attend a clowning workshop, one on fish mobile art or another called More Bang for your Buck that helped students learn about budgeting and expenses.
The clowning workshop was led by senior 4-H'er Justin Armstrong, 18, a recent high school graduate from Attala County.
Armstrong, full of energy and a ready wit, has been clowning for about three years, and at this year's Congress chose to give back by teaching fellow 4-H'ers.
After attending a 4-H workshop on clowning, Armstrong said he found a love for it and discovered clowning fit his personality well.
"I just found a passion for it," said Armstrong, noting that he loves to make people laugh. "Comedy and humor is helpful and good for the soul."
"It's a good way to interact with children and adults," he said.
Armstrong uses his clowning skills at nursing homes, churches, day care centers and more.
4-H'ers across the state will continue learning and competing throughout the summer in events like District Project Achievement Days, cookout contests, district shows and judging contests, the 4-H Cooperative Business Tour and more.
For more information on 4-H, contact the Oktibbeha County Extension office at 323-5916.
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